rthur comes home."

He went up and down the room several times, and then came and stood by
her side again.

"Graeme," said he, in a low voice, "let me hear you once say, that you
believe me to be your true and faithful friend."

"Why should I not say it, Allan. You are my true and faithful friend,
as I am yours."

Her voice did not tremble, and for a moment she calmly met his eye. He
turned and walked away, and when he came back again he held out his hand
and said,--

"Good-night."

"Good-night," said Graeme.

"And you will see about Harry--what you wish for him?"

"Yes. Good-bye."

He raised the hand he held to his lips, and then said, "Good-bye."

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

The next few days were weary ones to all. Will had reached that stage
of convalescence in which it was not easy to resign himself to utter
idleness, and yet he had not strength to be able to occupy himself long
without fatigue; and in the effort to amuse and interest him, Graeme's
spirits flagged sadly. She looked so exhausted and ill one day when the
doctor came in, that he declared that Will must be left to the tender
mercies of Rose, while her sister went first for a walk in the keen
morning air, and then to her room for the rest of the day. It is
possible that solitude and her own thoughts did Graeme less good than
attendance on Will would have done, but doctors cannot be supposed to
know everything; and even had he known all there was to account for her
hot hands and pale cheeks, it is doubtful whether his skill could have
suggested anything more to the purpose than his random prescription was.
At any rate, Graeme was thankful for a few days' quiet, whether it was
good for her or not; and in the mean time Rose and Will got on very well
without her.

And Harry--poor, unhappy, repentant Harry, trying under a mask of sullen
indifference to hide the shame and misery he felt at the remembrance of
that night--these were dreary days to him. Graeme never spoke to him
about that night. She had not the courage, even if she had felt hot
that it would be better not to do so. The preparations for his
departure went on slowly, though it was becoming doubtful, whether he
should go West after all. He said little about it himself, but that
little it was not pleasant for Graeme to hear.

Much to the surprise of everyone, and to the extreme indignation of
Harry, Mr Ruthven had again left town, saying nothing of his
destination or the le